The subject invention relates to a method for generating a mailpiece. More particularly, it relates to a host computer particularly suited for control of a mailing system.
Mailing machines are utilized for printing, collating and inserting various documents into an envelope. Typically, feeders deposit documents onto a moving conveyor belt, and the various documents are collected, aligned and inserted into an envelope. Conventionally, the printing means, feeding means, collecting means, aligning means, and inserting means are situated along a single document path. The marketplace today requires that mailpieces should be generated as rapidly as possible, and it should be apparent that the use of a single document path is a time consuming process.
Many methods for control of a mailing system with a single document path have been developed. While these methods can work quite well, these solutions have certain inadequacies which limit the use of known control methods with a mailing system having multiple document paths. For example, it is difficult to track the number of active mailpieces in the mailing system. In particular, it is an arduous task to keep global track of the mailpiece contents. Still further, it is burdensome to generate a mailpiece in a high speed mailing system without providing an address document coded with the mailpiece contents. None of the heretofore known methods for control of a mailing system teach a method for generating a mailpiece in a manner to globally track mailpieces along multiple document paths thereby increasing mailpiece integrity.